How to get the original request url from a servlet/jsp after multiple servlet forwards

Question

I am working on a cruise booking app using struts/tiles that uses multiple internal servlet/jsp forwards to reach the right jsp for display. But, once you reach the final jsp that is used to render the page, the ${pageContext.request.requestURL} call in that jsp returns the path of this jsp.

For example

Original request: /booking/getCruiseDetails
gets forwarded to: /booking/validateCruiseDeteails.jsp
gets forwarded to: /booking/validateUser.jsp
finally gets forwarded to: /booking/showCruiseDetails.jsp

So, in /booking/showCruiseDetails.jsp when I call ${pageContext.request.requestURL} I get /booking/showCruiseDetails.jsp

How do you get the the original (client made) request url from a jsp that has been reached through multiple forwards. I did find the following posts on stackoverflow that hint at the solution here and here, but they don't address how you would go about finding the original request url after multiple forwards have occurred.

Multiple forwards inside JSPs is an extremely bad design. – BalusC Mar 27 '11 at 21:46 — BalusC, Mar 27 '11 at 21:46
agreed...but I am dealing with legacy code ;-( – Salman Paracha Mar 28 '11 at 00:09 — Salman Paracha, Mar 28 '11 at 00:09

score 59 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:18

59

I found a better answer in this post [ How do you detect the URL in a Java Servlet when forwarding to JSP? ]

On the target JSP use:

request.getAttribute("javax.servlet.forward.request_uri")

To find out what the original URL was.

It doesn't require you to take any extra steps on the forwarding servlet

edited May 23 '17 at 12:18

Community

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answered Jul 08 '12 at 22:54

Lenny Markus

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This is actually a better answer than the accepted one. The servlet specification guarantees that this propertly survives multiple forwards: "Note that these attributes must always reflect the information in the original request even under the situation that multiple forwards and subsequent includes are called." (Servlet specification, 9.4.2: Forwarded Request Parameters) – LordOfThePigs Oct 16 '15 at 07:47
Hey thanks, But how can i get the parameters it only prints the request – shareef Nov 09 '18 at 09:56

lukastymo · Answer 2 · 2011-03-27T15:30:27.877

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You can use a filter to putting origin address to request attribute and then read it from jsp

Filter mapped to /booking/* execute:

request.setAttribute("origin", request.getRequestURL());

Jsp:

${pageContext.request.attribute["origin"]}

This works because filter has set REQUEST dispatcher by default. It means filter executes only for direct client requests not for forwarding/including

edited Mar 27 '11 at 15:30

answered Mar 27 '11 at 15:16

lukastymo

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i'll try this out, and if it works i'll accept it as the answer. In the meantime, i've given it an up vote :-) – Salman Paracha Mar 27 '11 at 20:40
I'll be very happy if this solution'll help you – lukastymo Mar 27 '11 at 20:55
BTW, could you kindly explain what you mean, when you say "this works because filter has set REQUEST dispatcher by default"? thnx (and haven't gotten to validating your suggest just yet) – Salman Paracha Mar 28 '11 at 00:11
nevermind, I think you were referring to the config property in the filter mappings... – Salman Paracha Mar 28 '11 at 00:15
exactly, dispatcher in filter-mapping. We have 3 modes: request, forward or include – lukastymo Mar 28 '11 at 20:59
The comment below, that uses "request.getAttribute("javax.servlet.forward.request_uri")" is actually the correct answer. – Lincoln Jun 02 '13 at 14:10

Marcus · Answer 3 · 2018-07-02T08:50:24.593

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${requestScope["javax.servlet.forward.request_uri"]}

or with single quotes

${requestScope['javax.servlet.forward.request_uri']}

edited Jul 02 '18 at 08:50

answered Feb 19 '16 at 19:39

Marcus

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score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 10 '19 at 17:08

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Same as @Lenny Markus but using the provided constant in the Request Dispatcher class.

request.getAttribute(RequestDispatcher.FORWARD_REQUEST_URI)

answered Jul 10 '19 at 17:08

fingerprints

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score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 27 '11 at 15:14

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Consider using servlet filters instead to validate information. This means you can avoid your validation forwarding and just stay in a single JSP file.

answered Mar 27 '11 at 15:14

Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen

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That's great advice, but I am dealing with a legacy app and so am bound by its architecture. – Salman Paracha Mar 27 '11 at 23:04

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Jan 04 '17 at 11:54

You can show it without using a bean reference with the following:

<h:outputText value="#{requestScope['javax.servlet.forward.request_uri']}" />

Of course, you need to map the 404 page in your web.xml file though.

<error-page>
    <error-code>404</error-code>
    <location>/xhtml/pg/error/404.xhtml</location>
</error-page>

How to get the original request url from a servlet/jsp after multiple servlet forwards

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